Take-up mechanism for knitting machines



Jan..16, 192'3.

K. HOWIE'. TAKLUP'MECHANIS'M FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

2 SHEEISSHEEI FILED SEPT. 9. I920.

Iii/U822 tbr.

Kenneth J/owie W Airy- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Kl HOWIE. v TAKE-UP MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

FILED SEPT. 9, 1920.

Jan. 16, 1923;

Kenneth Jfowz' F a w machine.

Patented Jan. 16, 1923.

warren. srarss 1,442,969 FA E ar {716E},

KENNETH HOWIE, OEF NOBRISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO. WILDMAN 00., 0F NORRISTOVJ N, PENNSYLVANIA, A. .CQRPORATION} OF PENNSYLVANIA. v

TAK E- UP 1V.[1'*.|CI-IA1 \T ISlVLFORv KNITTING .IVIACHINES.

Application filed September 9, 1920. Serial No. 409,264.

To all whom it may concern/.2

Be it known. that I, KENNET Howm, a

citizen of the United States, and resident of Norristown, Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Take-Up Mechanism for Knitting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that form of takeup mechanism for knitting machines disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States, issued to the lVildm'an Manufacturing Company, as assignee of G, L. Ballard, N0 .'9et0, 656 November 23rd, 1909. v

The invention consists in thefeatures and combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out inthe appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a side view of the take-up mechanism with the clutch inelevation.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectionalview of the clutch.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the clutch with a part thereof in section.

Figure 4 is a sectional view of the outer shell of the clutch.

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the inner block which carries the clutch shoes.

Figure 6 is an elevation of the inner side of one of the clutch shoes.

In these drawings the take-up rolls 1, 1 are journalled in a frame, one of the arms of which is indicated at 3. This frame is fixed by set screws, one of which is shown at 4:, to a rod or shaft 5, journalled in standards, one of which is shown at 6, so that the take-up frame pivots about the axis of said shaft 5.

The take-up rolls are driven by a worm 9 meshing with a worm wheel 10 on the shaft of one of them and the two shafts are suitably geared together. The worm is driven through the vertical shaft 11 from a gear wheel 12 which meshes with a circular rack, not shown, which is fixed to the frame of the The drive from the shaft 11 to the worm takes place through a clutch. One member of this clutch is in the form of a cup shaped shell 13, fixed to the worm. Clutch shoes 13 engage the inner side of this cup shaped shell. These clutch shoes are carried by a block 14 fixed to the vertical shaft 11 by a pin 15 having a screw threaded head 16 fitting in a screw threaded socket of the block. The shoes have each a groove 18 in its face, receiving a spring band 19 which encircles them and holds them yieldinglyfto the center blockll. This block is recessed at 14? on its curved .end faces andthese recesses receive thefib or body part20 of the shoes. Theclutch shoes are. of" segmental form and at the center'of each there is'an opening 21'with a recess22 at the inner end of the opening, and these openings receive the shanks 23 of pins 24:, the heads of which fit the recesses 22. The pins are' gen: erally of cylindrical form but are slabbedfofi' at 25 leaving a front transverse edge 26' against. which thelarm's 27 bear. These arms are notched at 28 to receive pins 29, which are fixed in the center block. The arms turn on these "pins when. they are pressed outwardly by a wedgepiece 29 mounted in the cross slot 30 of'the shaft 11, and when the arms are pressed outwardly they force the shoes outwardly into driving contact with theinterior of the clutch'shell, and thus drive it together with the worm. In this actionthe arms 27 press the pins 24 out- \va'rdly and thesein turn press upon'the shoes and force them to their work against the resistance of the encircling spring.

When downward pressure on the wedge piece 29 is relieved, a spring 31 lifts the wedge piece, and the encircling spring band 19 then forces the shoes inwardly or out of driving contact with the interior of the clutch member 13.

The wedge piece is forced downwardly by a pin 32 working in the hollow upper end oi" the shaft 11. and-simply resting upon the wedge plate. This pin 32 is borne upon by a screw orpin 33 mounted adjustably in the lever 34, pivoted at to the frame and operated by a link 36 connecting it with the arm 3 of the pivoted take-up frame, the 0peration of this link and lever arrangement being substantially the same as that set forth in the patent above mentioned.

It will be observed that the wedge piece 29 is loosely mounted in the shaft 11, in the sense that it can shift transversely of the shaft or can tip to a position inclined to the horizontal. This capacity enables the wedge piece to accommodate itself to any condition resulting from wear or inaccuracies of manufacture, so that if one clutch shoe gets set slightly in advance of the other the wedge piece will shift to effect the setting of the second shoe with a force equal to that of the first shoe because of this compensating action of the wedge member, and in this vay the driving force will be applied to diametrically opposite points of the clutch under all conditions irrespective of Wear or inaccuracies in the making of the parts.

Referring to details of construction; the center block may be formed in one piece with an overhanging flange 37 overlying the upper edge of the cup shaped member 13, or this flange may be formed separately and fixed to the center block. This block is provided with openings at 38 receiving the arms or levers 27 loosely, the arms being retained in place by their pivot pins fitting in the notches in the arms. This construction facilitates quick assembly.

The center spring 31 rests upon the pin 15 extending across the shaft 11, and Which fixes the center block to the shaft.

The interior of the cup shaped shell is provided with shoulders 13 against which the clutch shoes bear. These clutch shoes are of segmental form and are struck upon a radius shorter than the radius of the interior of the clutch shell and a positive drive is derived from this construction.

What I claim is 1. In combination, a drive shaft, a clutch shell, a plurality of clutch shoes carried by the shaft and having radial movement in respect thereto, a Wedge member carried slidably by the shaft and having shifting compensating action to operate the clutch shoes equally, a pin carried by the shaft and a connectionfor operating the said. pin, substantially as described.

2. In combination, a drive shaft, a clutch shell, clutch shoes having radial movement in respect to the drive shaft and carried by said drive shaft to rotate therewith, said drive shaft being slotted, a Wedge member loosely mounted in said slot, said Wedge member adjusting itself to exert pressure substantially equally upon the clutch shoes and means for pressing the wedge to set the shoes against the clutch shell, substantially as described.

3. In combination a clutch shell, clutch shoes having radial movement Within and With respect to the said shell, a drive shaft passing through the shell, carrier means mounted on the drive shaft, pivoted arms on the said carrier extending lengthwise of the drive shaft, said drive shaft being slotted transversely, a Wedge member Inovably -mounted in the said slot and bearing upon the ends of the pivoted arms, a spring for pressing the Wedge member in one direction, said spring being located Within the drive shaft and a pin Within the drive shaft bearing on the Wedge member for operating the same, substantially as described.

ture.

KENNETH HOIVIE.

In testimony whereof, I affix my sigma 

